Merry - Ringo to uso

Whoa, talk about a change of pace! I thought I was in for something along the same lines as previous Merry releases, but after popping this bad-boy in I realized that things were going to be slightly different this time around. While the music retains everything one can expect from the EroGuro quintet, Gara’s vocals have upped the ante this time around. They come off as very aggressive, emphasising power and semi-screaming as opposed to his usual mellow “vibrato-ness”. Even the music feels slightly sped up here and there, creating a slight hectic feel.

“But Scottie!” you scream. “What does it all mean?!”

Read on to find out!

01-PLTC
Very short, bizarre song/intro that lulls you into a false sense of security. At first, you feel comfortable listening, thanks to the all-too-familiar antics of Yuu and Kenichi. You eventually begin bopping from side to side with the main lick, it being very catchy and Merry-esque. Gara eventually begins crooning you into a trance, with his beautifully bizarre voice. A split-second after familiarity sinks in (which is around 0:33 seconds), it is ripped away and replaced with what can only be described as puzzlement. Gara’s weirdest performance to date sees him torn in two as his vocals vary between distorted versions of his usual style and extremely hostile growls, which accentuate as time goes by. If this track was a bit longer, we might have a better idea of what’s going on… but instead we are left slightly confused as the song comes to an abrupt end. Shame too, the actual riff showed promise.

Very different, might even scare some fans away. I, personally, suggest pushing “skip” when faced with frightening anomalies such as this one.

02-Ringo to Uso
This one starts off calmly but pulls the chair out from under you as soon as you get comfortable. At first, things sound like a lounge where you can sit down and relax your troubles away. Has Merry gone soft? Yeah, right.

This band isn’t the kind to just lay back and shoot the breeze, evidenced as the boys quickly turn the heat up and rip into a semi-punk riff that exudes coolness. However, it completely over-shadows the one instrument that could’ve added extra-cool to the mix: organs. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear them. Now imagine if they’d been cranked up a notch.

‘Nuff said.

Everything else about the song comes off as speedy rather than melodic, but still sticks to the Merry-mold to make sure everything is kosher with fans. On the flip side, the riff doesn’t really have a “hook” to it and feels like it can be easily forgotten, something you’d be hard pressed to do with most of their songs. The chorus is a little catchy but still fails to burrow into your memory. Regrettably, it shall not turn into a “shower song”.

Credit must be given where credit is due, especially when the drummer does an outstanding job. Nero really shone on this one! Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to make this one a classic. The song feels disjointed on the whole, which is what is keeping it from really breaking through.

03-Freaks a Go Go
Here we are served a fresh-platter of guitar-goodness as Yuu sets into a simple-yet-memorable lick. It hooks you from the get-go and doesn’t let go, especially thanks to Nero’s awesomeness once again. It all blends together very smoothly and harmoniously. For some reason, though, Gara decides to jump in with all guns blazing, leaning heavily on his forceful vocals to seemingly display power over grace once again. This will be a turn off to most older fans who are used to his calmer stuff, while people with an open mind might get into the vibe and feel everything mesh together. The weird thing is that while the vocals come off as belligerent, they still manage to maintain the main melody’s “happy” feel and actually make the song work.

Can’t figure out what I think of the song? Good. Me neither.

Alright, here’s the stumper. Does good ol’ Uncle Scottie “yay” or “nay” this release? We’ve got a short ride through Gara’s insanity on track 1, a little romp (in a fast car) through familiar-ville on track 2 and a great melody that gets enshrouded in Gara’s performance on track 3. Well, if I have to pick one, it would be “yay”. It’s good, but it isn’t great however. Track 1 should be skipped on most play-throughs, while tracks 2 and 3 will grow on you with enough time. Especially Freaks, because the melody is just too damned sweet to ignore.

Stay wild, pups!

OVERALL SCORE: 7/10 for being a little too unbalanced. Sure, two songs are “good”, but one of them doesn’t reach its full potential due to Gara’s vocals (track 3). The other one (track 2) actually sounds like classic-Merry but makes the listener feel like something isn’t right. All the ingredients are there, but maybe it wasn’t left in the oven long enough!

Oh, and I can still feel my stomach churning from the first time I heard track 1.